Monday, 18 August 2014

Wildlife Hotspot

Over the
summer I’ve been cultivating parts of the veg patch where soil has not seen the
light of day since probably WWII. Today I tackled a stony section leading up to
the wall and next to one of several compost heaps. My faithful Molly was almost by my side all
day, transfixed by something inside the dry stone walls; the sun was strong and
she was panting but even when I went to the house and fetched her a bowl of
water, she would not pause her gaze for fear she’d miss the moment.

I was glad
she was preoccupied when the earth before me started to move; not an earthquake
but a mole whose snout broke surface and quickly retreated. I watched its
progress as it tunnelled the few feet to the compost heap. A few minutes later
it returned going the other way and the dry crumbly soil above it subsided, briefly
revealing the black moleskin boiler suit. I nipped up to the house to get a
camera ready for any next appearance.

But alas the
mole did not return and I worked my way up the garden removing chunks of a
rotten tree stump. As I pulled away at a large bit of root a male slow worm
fell onto the bare soil; just as well I had the camera – beautiful.

After lunch,
Molly still staring into the wall, I was removing some weeds beside the old
tree stump and noticed a lizard in the wall. The camera was recharging up at
the house but my mobile phone recorded the moment. And shortly after that,
there was another lizard, possibly called Swampy, which stared me down, intent
on preserving its homelands.

Taking note
of the protest I have decided that this little patch of garden does not need to
be cultivated; it obviously has a more noble purpose than food or flower
production.